Year 12 Summer Action Plan: 7 Things to Finish Before September

The summer holidays present a valuable opportunity for university applicants to make significant progress on their applications. With a well-structured plan and effective time management, you can use this period to conduct thorough research, engage in super-curricular activities, and prepare your personal statement and application, all while keeping on top of any schoolwork or revision you need to do.

Attend Open Days

If you haven't yet been to an Open Day for your shortlisted universities, summer is when many institutions hold their remaining sessions before term starts. Attending an Open Day is one of the best ways to get a feel for a university, learn about the facilities, see first-hand the accommodation on offer, and ask current students and professors any questions you may have. Check if the subject department is holding any particular events as part of the Open Day.

Before attending, it's worth preparing a short list of questions specific to your course and college choices. Speaking to current students and academic staff is often the most valuable part of the day, so make the most of any chance to ask about workload, teaching style, or what they wish they'd known before applying.

Research for Your Personal Statement

Without several hours a day spent in school, the summer holidays present a fantastic opportunity to spend dedicated time undertaking research for your personal statement. This should mostly consist of reading academic books and articles, since both Oxbridge and other top UK universities base most of their teaching on academic reading.

We recommend diversifying your research with other media such as films, podcasts, documentaries, exhibitions, audiobooks, and more. As long as you are gaining either relevant knowledge or skills to your chosen course (and can argue why this is the case) then anything goes, really.

As you read, watch, listen to, or visit each of your research sources, we recommend keeping some rough notes. These don't have to be comprehensive enough to write an essay with, but should highlight the topics or ideas you found most interesting, any other sources or ideas mentioned that you want to pursue in more depth later on, or key pages you might need to refer back to when constructing the personal statement.
Taking a little time to do this now could save a lot of time later on, keeping it fresh in your mind for the personal statement and interview preparation.

Plan and Draft your Personal Statement

Your personal statement plays a crucial role in the application process. To get it perfect, it's ideal to have time to research, plan, draft, and redraft the personal statement, ensuring it gives an accurate reflection of you and your academic development.

The summer holidays, then, are the perfect time to begin brainstorming ideas alongside undertaking research and, perhaps towards the end of the summer, planning and making your first draft ready to show to your teachers or advisers and gradually tweak it into its final form once school begins in September.

We recommend aiming for three to four paragraphs of main content, with an introductory and concluding paragraph at either end, as a working structure. Group your favourite pieces of research or areas of interest thematically, allotting them a paragraph each, and begin expanding your notes into prose accordingly. Have a plan but also be flexible; your thoughts and ideas may change as you research and draft further, and that's OK.

The earlier you have a draft ready for the personal statement, the longer you have to perfect the structure and wording, and the more time you have to show it to other people (such as teachers, mentors, parents or guardians) and get advice and recommendations. If you'd like more structured, expert input at this stage, our Personal Statement Package offers bespoke, one-to-one support to help you refine your draft and make sure it reflects you at your best

In Summary

The summer holidays are a golden opportunity to make significant progress on your university applications. By structuring your time effectively and following a well-defined plan, you can conduct thorough research, engage in super-curricular activities, prepare your personal statement and application.

All while keeping on top of your schoolwork and getting enough time to relax, spend time with family and friends, and come back to school in September recharged and raring to go.

With dedication, organisation, and a proactive approach, you will be well ahead in securing your desired university placement.